The Internet – A Danger to Children
Name
Professor
Course
Date
The Internet – A Danger to Children
Introduction
The increase in the use of the internet by children and adolescents increases the need to address the safety concerns associated. To be able to provide a safe environment for children on the internet, there is a need to understand the dangers that they face. Some of the dangers that are associated include cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. This is not to mean that the internet is completely dangerous for children. Various advantages exist for supporting healthy child development on the internet. For better understanding, we shall discuss the dangers associated with the internet on children.
Discussion
Cyberbullying
One of the greatest dangers that children are exposed to on the internet is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying occurs when a person or group of people send messages for intimidating a victim over electronic media. These incidences involve children using the internet to insult, harass, or humiliate their peers. At times, it can also be used to spread rumors. Children have always been bullying each other for generations, but in modern times, it is possible to use the internet as a communication tool (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). In other extreme forms, children use their social media networks to create fake profiles of the person that they are targeting to bully (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). These profiles make fun of others in demeaning ways.
Some of the ways that cyberbullying are occurring also poses some serious issues in term of privacy. Some children, using their mobile phones, record others in the comfort of their privacy, such as bathrooms and bedrooms, and distribute the videos over the internet (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). Most of the videos that are used for this purpose are unauthorized by the primary target or victim, which causes lots of anguish. Even on gaming networks, children have been found to create chats that are linked to their victims to demean them.
Cyberbullying often takes in an environment where there is little control or supervision. According to Smith et al. (2008), the majority of cyberbullying cases take place out of the school environment. Additionally, parents or guardians are often unaware of the issue. Instant messaging, as a tool of the internet, is the most prevalent avenue by which cyberbullying takes place (Smith et al., 2008). Of the various forms of cyberbullying that were studied, the use of video clips was the least significant but had the highest negative impact on the victims (Smith et al., 2008). Moreover, the victims of cyberbullying were found to be the victims linked to traditional bullying or had similar characteristics to traditional bullying.
There are some aspects of using the internet to bully that makes it particularly dangerous to children. Unlike the traditional bullying forms where children could identify the person bullying them, over the internet, there is the ability to cloak identity (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). As such, a victim may have difficulty recognizing a person who uses pseudonyms or an anonymous email address. Additionally, the actions associated with cyberbullying are often viral (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). This means that a huge community that can even go as far as global can be involved directly or indirectly in the act. Those who are interested can easily find the incident with a few searches over the internet. Moreover, the messages or videos can permanently be embedded on the internet, meaning the victim may have to live with the constant reminders. Also, traditional bullying meant that the victim had to be within the vicinity of the bully. However, cyberbullying does not require proximity and, as such, can have a greater and more repetitive impact.
There are short and long-term consequences that are associated with cyberbullying. To begin with, there are higher levels of mental disorders, especially anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation (Vaillancourt et al., 2017). This problem is particularly more dangerous than cyberbullying due to the nature of the repetitive and highly viral nature of cyberbullying. There are also physical health issues. The most common include headaches, stomach upsets, sleep disturbance, and loss of appetite. In academic aspects, victims of cyberbullying have been found to have poor results in their academic life. Therefore, one of the dangers of the internet is cyberbullying and has mental and physical health implications as well as negative academic performance.
Sexual Predators
The use of the internet connects people from various parts of the world. Sexual predators take advantage of the information that is offered by children on their profiles as well as their naivety to entice them in various sexual acts over the internet. Sexual predation includes various things. They include the production and distribution of child sexual content, using the internet to groom children to engage in various sexual acts, soliciting sexual activity from children, online prostitution of children, and revenge pornography, among others (ECPAT International, 2018). The victims of online sexual abuse are often attracted through what would seem as honest chats that take place over social networking sites. Younger children are less at risk from this threat as compared to adolescents. Adolescents are associated with a higher sensation seeking motivation that is common for the age and, as such, is easy to be engaged in child online sexual abuse (Hanson, 2017).
There are various effects that online sexual abuse can have on the victims in the long and short term. The victims have been found to have greater difficulty in developing intimate relationships (Hanson, 2017). As such, the individuals experience a high rate of break-ups and avoidance of relationships in the course of their life. The victims are also highly susceptible to re-victimization at a later point in life, which can compound the negative effects. Other difficulties that have been discovered in the development of sexual difficulties which include sexual ambivalence and aversion in later adult life (Hanson, 2017). In other cases, self-destructive behavior is common. This is behavior that includes suicidal ideation and engaging in drug abuse.
Sexual predation has been found to have a greater impact on prolonged exposure. As such, the younger a child is exposed to online sexual abuse, as well as the length, has a greater impact. One of the key differences that exist between online child sexual abuse and offline is the lack of physical touch or penetration. Some may argue that this may mean that online abuse is less harmful. However, a unique characteristic that has been associated with online sexual predators is the need to protect their identity to avoid any detection. As such, much of the pleasure derived from this activity is by the degree to which they can engage their victims in the abuse (Hanson, 2017). This can have a greater impact, especially as the child develops a better understanding of the situation.
Upon discovery of online sexual abuse, some factors have been found to have far much worse consequences on the victim. The familial support that is received has a critical role in the successful recovery of the individual. There may be a fear of abandonment and self-harm if there is poor support. Also, the interaction with the criminal justice system can have a negative output. Where a victim is repeatedly questioned or questioned harshly or engaged with unfair police or lawyers there may be a worse impact on the victim. Some of the common emotions that have been seen to result from the interaction are the development of shame, self-blame, dissociation, and development of difficulties socializing. Therefore, the use of the internet poses the danger of exposing children to sexual predators who can exploit children sexually, leading to adverse negative effects in later life.
Pornography
About 50% of children aged 9 to 15 years old who use the internet are exposed to sexual images (Quadara et al., 2017). There is a need to appreciate that being online and being connected to the society at large is a crucial part of the internet experience. However, this connection affects the content that is shared on the social circles. Quadara et al. (2017) found that exposure to pornographic images has the effect of causing upset on children aged between 9 to 12 years. Flood (2009) notes that exposure to pornography has become more prevalent and almost a routine to adults and children using the internet. Moreover, much of this exposure is unregulated by parents and guardians. Most parents and guardians often underestimate the level of exposure that their children interact with on the internet.
The use of the internet for pornographic purposes has a link with gender. Boys are more active seekers of pornographic content on the internet as compared to girls (Quadara et al., 2017). Moreover, this is a frequent occurrence for boys as they may deliberately and repeatedly seek pornographic material after first exposure. In the same light, girls have been found to have significantly higher negative views on exposure to pornography as compared to boys. Many girls report feeling distressed and shocked (Quadara et al., 2017). Boys, on the other hand, report experiencing feelings of amusement, arousal, and excitement when exposed to pornography, which may be more problematic, leading to addiction issues.
One of the most notable effects of exposure to pornography is the alteration of the meaning of sex for children. This means that children develop having skewed and irrational views on the meaning of relationships (Flood, 2009). In boys, this is a problem that can develop more serious crimes relating to assault and engaging in support practices for unhealthy sexual coercion practices. There is a need to note that children are sexual beings, and often, due to taboo, they may learn about sex through pornography on the internet. This often leads to a misunderstood understanding of the meaning of sex and sexuality, leading to dangerous outcomes.
There is a strong link between pornography and engaging in premarital or casual sex among young persons. Often beginning at a young age, watching pornography can emphasize wrong attitudes on sex. This leads to earlier first-time experiences for children (Quadara et al., 2017). Without the appropriate sex education, they are at a high risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases as well as early pregnancies. Also, the child’s expectations of sex are altered. Often, the child may develop, expecting the opposite gender partner to engage in some practices that they may think is normal but maybe abhorring. Some of the practices include engaging in multiple partners in sexual experience and unsafe oral or anal sex (Quadara et al., 2017).
There is a development of expectation gaps as children develop due to pornographic exposure. This sexual uncertainty leads to misconstrued sexual beliefs and values. This is highly linked to anxiety and fear in individuals. Also, there is increased objectification of the genders and body surveillance which adds to the anxiety and fear. Therefore, another danger of the internet to children is pornography. Pornography may lead to the development of a poor understanding of the sexuality of being leading to the development of anxiety, fear, and objectification of the gender.
Privacy
The internet is pervasive and, as such, affects many areas of a child’s life. One of the areas in the privacy of the child. Accessing the internet greatly puts the child at a risk of their right to privacy and freedom of expression being violated. Through the internet, especially social networks, businesses, and governments can monitor a child’s activity for various reasons (UNICEF, 2018). However, the greatest threat comes from the children themselves. They lack a clear understanding of the long-term consequences of the content that they post online, especially about their personal lives. Some of the information that they post can be scandalizing, which can leave them embarrassed within their social circles and possibly affect their future efforts while seeking a job. Additionally, there is a security risk. Some social networking platforms automatically share the location of the user. This can be disadvantageous for children as they may be naïve to the danger this poses or the fact that they can be tracked by people with other motives. On the other hand, parents can take better control of the child’s use of the internet and devices, but this may hinder the development of self-confidence and responsible citizens (UNICEF, 2018). Therefore, the use of the internet poses a danger to the privacy of a child due to their lack of understanding of the long term effects of their actions.
Conclusion
Therefore, through a discussion on the dangers associated with the internet on children, we can explore some negative aspects of the internet. Some of the dangers include cyberbullying, exposure to sexual predators and pornography, and the right to privacy and freedom of expression. The internet is a powerful tool by which children can learn and interact with people from various social and economic backgrounds. However, there are dark sides to the internet that are not only harmful to children but also adults. As such, there is a need to have good education practices and guidance for children for engaging responsible behavior when using the internet. This is a strategy that can be sustainable in mitigating the risks of using the internet in the long-term.
References
Hinduja, S., Patchin, J. W. (2014). Cyberbullying: Identification, Prevention, & Response. https://cyberbullying.org/Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response.pdf
ECPAT International (2018), “Trends in online child sexual abuse material.” Bangkok: ECPAT International. https://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ECPAT-International-Report-Trends-in-Online-Child-Sexual-Abuse-Material-2018.pdf
Flood, M. (2009). The Harms of Pornography Exposure Among Children and Young People. Child Abuse Review 18(6):384 – 400. DOI: 10.1002/car.1092
Hanson, E. (2017). The Impact of Online Sexual Abuse on Children and Young People: Impact, Protection, and Prevention. DOI: 10.1002/9781118977545.ch6
Quadara, A., El-Murr, A., Latham, J. (2017). The Effects of Pornography on Children and Young People. The Australian Government. https://aifs.gov.au/publications/effects-pornography-children-and-young-people-snapshot
Smith, P. K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., Tippet, N. (2008). Cyberbullying: Its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49(4):376-85. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x
UNICEF (2018). Children’s Online Privacy And Freedom Of Expression. United Nations Children’s Fund. https://www.unicef.org/csr/files/UNICEF_Childrens_Online_Privacy_and_Freedom_of_Expression(1).pdf
Vaillancourt, T., Faris, R., Mishna, F. (2017). Cyberbullying in Children and Youth: Implications for Health and Clinical Practice. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 62(6) 368-373. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0706743716684791